'we take our bug juice very seriously'

And, boy, they weren't kidding.

I just spent 4 days in Little St. Simons Island with my good friend Kristin and her parents. It was a wonderful vacation, in which you are completely cut off from the rest of the world. No television, no radio, no computer, no media whatsoever. The only committment you'll have is to sign in and out for activities, and that's just so that they can expect you to be in or out for lunch. It's so laid back, it's crazy. I didn't know a place like that existed. The staff is available whenever you need them, and you never ever go hungry. In fact, you hardly go un-stuffed.

There were endless activities, and we must have done almost all of them. We rode bikes (usually 2 miles to the beach), we walked (2 miles to the beach), we went horseback riding, kayaking, swimming, we played board games and card games, we did our summer reading on a wooden swing...It was paradise. You certainly never go bored, and you don't even realize that there aren't televisions in the rooms.

When we first got there, we went on a sort of indroductory tour that took us around parts of the island and showed us differnet wild life and nature elements of the island. We met this really nice family who had been there nearly a week, but were just going on the Northend Tour for the first time. It was a married couple with three kids: Lauren was 18 and completely hysterical, Phillip was 15 and although his family lives in Rome, Georgia, he is at school in New York at the New York Military Academy - by choice, and Richard (Who we fondly called Charlie) was 13 and apparently much quieter than he is at home. We hung out with them the whole time, and they proved to be very fascinating people. Their parents were actually both born in Switzerland, and all three of the kids have duel citizenship. They don't think it's such a cool thing, because they fear being drafted in the army and such, but I found it super cool. They lived in Zurich for 9 1/2 years, so they all speak fluent German, although they claim to be out of practice. :rolleyes: Whatever. They're certainly more in practice than I am.

When Phil left, Kristin and I found ourselves at a loss of activities, but it gave us plenty of time to do summer reading. Of course, we ended up talking most of that time, which was so amazing. This girl, Kristin, is just a phenominal person. She never ceases to amaze me with her daily life. And, it was so cool talking to her, because I honestly feel that God has brought us together at the perfect time...we are dealing with some of the exact same issues, and there's nothing more important than having someone to talk to who really understands. Spending four days together really bonded Kristin and me, and it was an awesome experience, and I have a feeling it wasn't the last.

As I embark on my sophomore year of highschool, I am entering it with great anticipation. After a busy traveling summer, I'm ready to be back on my own two feet and in a routine, and I'm even looking forward to the stress of finishing 5 hours of homework. :sigh: I saw one of my school friends today at the uniform store for the first time since the end of school, and it made my day. I am excited about not being the "fresh-man" anymore, and meeting new people, and sticking with old people. School brings such exciting adventures to my door step, and I will gladly greet them with an open heart. So, all I can say to my '04-'05 Sophomore year of high school is Bring It On! :D

God bless,
lv